Ghosted Fingertips
by inhummus
Summary: Because who doesn't love a protective Jane? This started based on the promos for 4x04. I've now included a follow up, because I felt like the episode missed out on an ansty opportunity to explore Maura and Jane's reactions.
1. Chapter 1

Jane turned back to Korsak and Frost as she passed through the security checkpoint and put her gun back in its holster.

"You know Maura's going to be squirming in that orange jumpsuit," Jane said with a laugh, imagining Maura listing out the terrible quality of the polyester blend and how harsh the orange color was with her skin tone.

The prison guard opened the final door to the visiting area with a resounding clang. As Jane turn away from Frost and Korsak, her smile instantly faded as she laid eyes on Maura.

Her jaw fell and her hand came immediately to her lips as she gasped. _Maura_.

Maura looked up nervously at Jane before giving a weak smile. Jane's felt her heart sink as she looked at Maura; her stomach twisted with guilt. How was she making this into a laughing matter only moments before?

Jane was by her side in a matter of moments. She strode across the dimly lit room and sat down next to Maura, taking in her appearance. She appeared so fragile. God, it was too much to process. Jane felt rage and fury shoot up through her body when Maura finally looked up and into Jane's eyes. Pushing Maura's hair behind her ear, Jane let out a hiss as she saw the large bruise forming just under her left eye.

"Maura," she choked, trying to keep it together, "Who... who did this to you?"

She breathlessly continued to examine Maura's face, running her fingers over the tender skin and the small cut right beneath her eyebrow.

"Hey!" shouted the guard who began to step forward, "Step back. No touching."

With a scowl Jane turned her head. "No touching? No touching?! Where the hell were you when this happened?" she roared, rounding on him.

"We took care of it. The girl's in isolation," he gestured with a nod of the head, explaining the cause of Maura's bruising.

Jane seethed, planting herself in the guard's personal space, "You're suppose to prevent this from happening!"

"Jane," Maura pleaded from behind her, barely a whisper. "Please."

Jane did all she could to quiet her rage and turned back to Maura. She went again to reach for her, before remembering she couldn't. Her chest tightened at the sudden, overwhelming need to hold Maura in her arms. She needed to hold on to her chin, run her hands through her hair, her arms. Her brow furrowed as she watched Maura look into her eyes. They held such pain and confusion.

"Jane," she said, chewing on her bottom lip, "I need to talk to you."

Jane attempting to control her breathing. God, how could she not be allowed to touch her? To console her? Jane was lost for a moment staring at Maura's bitten lip.

"The guard. Who stopped this," Maura whispered, referencing her bruises, "she told me that she has a message. From Doyle" Maura leaned in closer, trying to keep her voice low.

"Doyle?" said Korsak. "He's got an in with the prison guards?"

"Yes," Maura looked over her shoulder, making sure they weren't being overheard. "And she told me that he has contacts inside BPD."

"Wait, what?" asked Frost, "You're saying we've got a dirty cop?"

"She wasn't able to tell me who yet. But she said it was information that-"

"Times up," barked the guard, opening up the gate again.

"Jane," Maura pleaded, "Get me out of here."

Jane felt her heart-break. "Maura, I promise you," Jane leaned in closed, "I'm going to get you out of here as soon as possible. Just hold on," Jane again reached for her hands before forcing herself to stop, silently cursing the guard's orders.

She watched as Maura nodded, pressing her lips together to hold back the tears.

"Hey Frost, would you look at that?" Korsak loudly noted, standing up to put himself between Jane and the guard. "Those are some high def cameras, huh?"

Frost picked up on his lead, crossing over to help cover Maura from the guard's view. "Oh yeah, top of the line. You see the way the…"

Jane smiled as she realized the boys were giving her a quick moment alone with Maura. She placed her hands on Maura's face and then moved them down her to shoulders and eventually held on to her hands.

"I will catch whoever is responsible for this," she took another breath, hoping to steady her voice, "He will pay." She stared into Maura's eyes again, and she suddenly felt her stomach drop and her hands became clammy. She chewed on the inside of her cheek, trying to sort out the feeling. She was just worried about Maura, right? _That's all it is._

Maura looked down and smiled, her eyes watering. "I know, Jane." She gave Jane's hand a squeeze. "Please hurry."

And with that Korsak and Frost moved out of the way, forcing Jane to let go. She pulled away, watching Maura fingers slip away from her own. She gave Maura one last look as she turned away.

She could still feel Maura's skin against her fingertips.

* * *

**A/N: Many thanks for the kind words of encouragement! If the episode doesn't end in a way that I find satisfying given the storyline they're working with, I plan to post an update. Thank you!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: So it was a great episode, but we still got happy music in the end. I thought I'd stick with the angst theme a little. Plus, how could you not give them some one on one time at the end of this episode?**

* * *

Maura breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Jane standing in the lobby, arms crossed and leaning cooly against the window. Her hair was up in her no nonsense pony tail, and she used two fingers to pry open the blinds, keeping a watchful eye on whatever was outside. Jane's head turned quickly back to the lobby as she heard the security door creak open. Jane scooped up the bag at her feet and hurried over to Maura, a big grin plastered on her face.

"Hi," she said softly, bringing Maura into a tight hug. Maura felt herself finally relax in her embrace. The past day and a half felt so far away with Jane's arms around her. She melted into her strong arms, finally feeling safe. She let you a small sigh and nuzzled herself further into the crook of Jane's neck. Far too quickly, she felt Jane pull away. "I brought you some clothes. Hope they match," she smirked, handing the bag to her.

So badly Maura wanted to thank her for coming. Thank her for caring. Thank her for showing Maura that she's something more. She wanted to thank her for solving the case. For catching the bad guy. But all she could mumble out was " I - Yes. Thank you."

Jane smiled and cocked her head, trying to figure out what exactly Maura was thinking. Despite everything Maura had been through in the past 36 hours, it still looked like there was something else on her mind. Something else gnawing at her. Jane leaned in close and whispered, "Listen, I don't want to overwhelm you, but there are a lot of people outside. Reporters are everywhere. Are you going to be ok? The quicker we get out, the better."

Maura took several deep breaths, trying to steady herself. Her emotions and thoughts over the past day and a half were swirling through her head. Jane was so close to Maura she could smell the lavender soap she used. It certaintly didn't help clear her head. "Yes, I'll be alright. Let me get changed so we can go home."

Reluctantly, Jane stepped aside. She rubbed her scars while Maura turned to the restroom to change. Jane hated leaving her even for a second. _Calm down. She's fine._ With a deep breath, Jane turned into steely Detective Rizzoli. She needs to be Maura's protective armor when they stepped out outside. She peeked through the blinds again. The crowd had gotten larger, teeming with reporters and overeager fanatics that have been following the media frenzy. She knew she needed to get Maura out and in the car as soon as possible.

Right as she was about to shout to Maura to hurry up, Maura step out. She was wearing slim fitting jeans, a silk, sleeveless, black button up, and flats. She smiled, referencing Jane's handy work. "Not bad."

Jane gave her a knowing look back, and tried to stifle a big smile at having picked appropriately. Maura in jeans and flats was one of Jane's favorites. It always felt like it was specifically reserved for her. Plus she felt taller. Which she liked. Quite a bit.

"Let's go." Jane pressed her hand against Maura's back and started leading her to the door. "Keep your head down. Don't make eye contact with anyone. Don't respond to anything they say." Maura nodded as Jane took a second to stop them both. "They're going to try to make you uneasy, Maura. They'll say anything in order to get a response. You just have to ignore it all. Ok?"

Maura gave another nervous nod and allowed herself to be softly pushed forward by Jane. The moment the doors opened, the flashes began. The crowd began frantically snapping pictures and attempting to swarm in.

"Stay close," Jane said, removing he hand from the small of Maura's back to around her shoulders, in attempt to shield her from the swarm of reporters. Though she tried to keep her head down, Maura couldn't help but notice the unnecessary amount of policemen keeping the crowd at bay. She smiled inwardly knowing that was because of Jane.

They pushed and fought their way through the crowd until they finally reached Jane's unmarked car. Right as Jane opened the door for Maura, a particularly loud reporter shouted out, "Dr. Isles, did you find it surprising when the killer turned out _not_ to be you? I mean, the daughter of a mobster... it seems like it runs in your blood! Bet even you were shocked you weren't the killer."

Maura looked up at the crowd, stung. Jane side stepped to block her view and, more forcefully then she wanted to, pushed Maura in and shut the door. Muttering and then glaring back at the obnoxious reporter, Jane cursed. That was going to be the shot in all of tomorrow's papers. Maura scared and hurt face as she looked back into the crowd. That reporter got exactly what he was looking for - the money shot.

"Hey back off or I'll place you under arrest!" she growled at him, her voice straining through her fury.

"For what?" he snarled back. "Arrest me for making your girlfriend cry?"

"No," she spat back. "For pissing me off."

She roughly opened the car door and sat down, still fuming. As she plugged the key into the ignition, she stole a quick look at Maura. Her exterior immediately softened as she saw how fragile Maura still was. Jane reached out and rubbed her forearm a few times. "The worst of it is over okay? Let's get you home. How does a hot bath and a glass of wine sound?"

Maura gave a small chuckle and turned towards Jane. "Amazing."

"And just for you, I'll even join you. For the wine that is," Jane stammered off of Maura's raised eyebrows. "Not the - not the bath, obviously. I just - I'll have some wine instead of beer. For the celebration... of your release..." she trailed off weakly.

"It sounds perfect, Jane. Just what I need." It continued to astound Maura just how complex Jane was. Maura loved her protectiveness, her heroicness, even her stubbornness. But she was so kind. So sympathetic to other people's needs. It's what made her a great cop, and an even better friend. Maura closed her eyes for a brief moment while she continued to list Jane's qualities. Smart, hilarious, humble. Unforgiving, fiery, strong...

"Shit."

Maura turned and followed Jane's eyesight to see the cause of the expletive. In front of her house was a new gathering of reporters and "fans."

"How the hell did they find out where you live? Who released this!?" Jane swore as she quickly turned into a neighbor's driveway and pulled out again going in the opposite direction.

"Oh no," was all Maura could muster. The overwhelming, crushing feeling finally came crashing down on her. How much more was she capable of taking? Couldn't this day finally end? "Jane, where are we going?"

"My place," she responded, shifting gears to get Maura there are quickly as possible. "I'll make sure you get that glass of wine, even if it's the last thing I do. And I'll sleep on the couch tonight. You deserve a good night's sleep after all that you've been through. 24 hours after the story breaks, it's old news. We've just got to make it 'til then." Jane snuck a quick look to Maura. "Sounds ok?"

Maura smiled weakly, brushing off the one stray tear that had fallen on her cheek. "Yes, I think I can manage that."

Maura looked back at Jane and then reached down to squeeze her hand, which was resting on the console between them. Jane squeezed back, thinking back to the last time she had been able to touch those soft fingertips while she was in prison. How they had slipped away, and she was unsure if she would ever have that feeling again.

Jane couldn't help but smile; Maura kept her hand nestled in Jane's the rest of the ride home.

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**A/N: Hope you liked it! I'm excited about the next chapter; You'll get to see some angry, angsty Maura!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks as always for the kind words. **

* * *

Jane dropped her keys in the bowl next to her door and turned to Maura. "You're lucky. I was so nervous about you last night I cleaned my entire apartment from top to bottom."

"There are worse nervous habits to have," Maura replied with a laugh.

"Alright. Wine." Jane moved to her kitchen and quickly began rummaging around for two wine glasses. "It's no chateau de whatever, but I think it should do."

Jane poured two (very full) glasses and silently passed one to Maura. "To freedom?"

Maura rolled her eyes and clinked glasses with her. Jane saw a small smile, but furrowed her brow when she looked closely. There was clearly still something on Maura's mind. Jane silently sipped her glass, waiting for Maura to share whatever was still bothering her. She remained quiet, fidgeting by rotating the stem of the glass as it sat on the kitchen counter.

As Maura wouldn't budge, Jane decided to move to different tactic. "Let me get that bath started for you. While it's no jacuzzi," she began, walking towards her bedroom, "it still hits the spot for those bad days."

Jane made her way to the bathroom, trying to rack her mind of comforting things to say. Or at least something to make her laugh. Normally she and Maura fell into such a quick and comfortable rhythm, but Maura seemed to be somewhere else entirely. She heard a rustling behind her to see that Maura had entered, glass in hand.

"I'll leave you some pjs and then get out of your hair."

"Jane?" Maura began, as Jane headed into her bedroom to grab a t-shirt and pajama bottoms, "Thank you."

* * *

Maura let out an enormous sigh of relief as she slipped into the bath. Taking a sip of her wine, she began rubbing her neck and shoulders in hopes to wash away the day.

_"Bet even you were shocked you weren't the killer."_

The reporters words played over and over in her head. What he said didn't hurt her. She was upset because he was right; she was shocked at her own innocence.

What Maura loved most about her job was that the evidence always spoke for itself. Whenever she was called for court, she always felt at ease, knowing that she wasn't attempting to convince the jury of anything. She was simply informing them of the forensics, and that these were hard and cold facts. From the moment she took off her jacket with Jane in the interrogation room, Maura quickly started adding up the facts. Bruises up and down her arms. Trace evidence of the victim under her fingernails. She could imagine delivering this information in a courtroom. Who needs a lawyer when all of the forensics stacked up so clearly? It was a cut and dry case. The jury would probably come to a conclusion within the hour.

While stripping off her clothes in front of Jane and Suzie, Maura had silently come to the conclusion that she had done it. God how she wished she could remember the rest of the night! But it seemed as if the more she tried, the further out of reach the memories became.

Self defense. It would be the only thing left for the lawyer to argue._ He must have attacked me, and I fought back. _Perhaps the shock of the attack explains the memory loss. But so many guests saw them drinking together and then leave together. It wouldn't look great. Without drugs in her system, it was all conjecture. The prosecutor could easily claim that the amnesia was all a ruse. Or perhaps her body went into shock after committing the murder.

But what about motive? The final plea. Why would the medical examiner of the commonwealth of Massachusetts want to kill a man? And now of course the answer was easy. She's a mobster's daughter. Does she even need a reason? She probably craves the thrill. The victim probably owed Doyle money, and this was his cruel way of enacting revenge. She-

"Maura? How are you doing in there?"

Jane's voice shook Maura out of her tailspin.

"Have you turned into a prune yet?"

* * *

Maura stepped out of the bathroom, shaking off her wet hair with a towel.

Jane was on the bed, lying on her stomach and rubbing behind Jo Friday's ears. She looked up and grinned.

"Hey," she beamed, "you look like you're feeling better."

Maura managed a small smile before thanking her for the bath and pajamas. She sank onto the bed, and scratched the dog under her chin.

They both silently petted the dog. There was a shuffle of noises outside which caused Jo Friday to perk up and search for the cause of the noise. The dog jumped off the bed and scampered into the living room. Now there was nothing left for Maura to do, but talk. But still, the words couldn't quite come out.

"Well I guess I'll leave you to it," Jane said quietly. "I'm sure you're beat. We can go by your place first thing tomorrow. I promise you'll be yesterday's news."

Jane got off the bed and opened up her linens closet so that she could prepare the sofa.

"Jane, wait."

It came out as barely a whisper.

"Stay?"

Jane turned around and saw Maura tentatively look from her lap up to Jane.

"I'm sorry, I know I'm being weird and not talking much. But I - I really don't want to be alone right now. It really helps to have you close. You're very... comforting." She finished lamely. "Your presence, that is. I just -"

"Hey, hey - Of course. No need to explain." She walked over and began to reach out. Maura looked just as broken as she did yesterday when she met her in the prison's visiting area. She perched on the bed and rubbed the Maura's folded leg as she whispered, "the day is almost over. You'll feel so much better once you get some sleep."

Maura and Jane began wordlessly moving the pillows out of the way and folding down the sheets. Maura crawled in and closed her eyes. Jane leaned over and turned off the bedside lamp, throwing them into darkness. A few moments passed.

"Jane?"

"Hmm?"

"How did you know? How did you know it wasn't me?"

Jane opened her eyes, which still hadn't adjusted to the darkness. She turned on her side towards Maura and propped her head up with her elbow. She could just barely see Maura's outline in the pale moonlight. She had her hands folded on her stomach and her head was pointed towards the ceiling.

"Maura," Jane began, shaking her head, "Don't tell me you ever thought it was?"

* * *

**A/N: This chapter turned out a little differently than expected. I felt like I needed Maura to do some processing on her own before she turned to Jane. I know many of you were looking forward to angry Maura, so I promise to deliver!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks for sticking with me! I hope I did you and the characters proud. Let me know if you expected them to react differently.**

**And to the kind reviewer who asked for email updates: if you create an account on here and click Follow, the website will send you an email whenever an author updates a story. It's quite nice!**

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"Maura," Jane all but pleaded, as Maura pushed herself up and wrapped her arms around her knees.

"No, how could you know? How could you be so sure when even I wasn't?"

Jane propped herself up, trying to get a better look at Maura's face. She expected her to look near tears, but instead she found a neutral, indifferent expression. Maura continued to avoid Jane's eye contact, and instead looked straight forward at the wall.

"It's who I am, Jane. Just like the reporter said."

"What, do you still think this crime thing runs in your blood? I told you, he-"

"That phrase is misleading. Characteristics and traits carried down through heredity occur because of similar compositions in DNA. It has nothing to do with blood."

Jane pursed her lips and chose to ignore Maura's interjection.

"I've told you this a million times, he's just the sperm donor. Don't think of him as anything more than that."

"That's precisely the problem!" Maura exclaimed, turning to face Jane, "That sperm explains literally half of my genetic composition. And more research is presented everything day further proving that nature explains more than nurture ever has."

"Maura-"

"No," Maura stopped her. She felt anger and fury begin to build. "And let's take a look at nurture for a second. I spent nearly all of my schooling abroad, and most of that time was alone, reading books, going to museums. I don't think I could name a single one of my classmates as a friend. I don't think I was ever bullied, but most actively ignored me. My parents weren't even in the same country as me for most of my childhood. I don't think I've ever once heard my mother say she loves me. I'm honestly not sure I can even remember her holding me as a child." Maura took a deep breath, and looked down, avoiding Jane's eye contact again. "I don't even know what continent my father is on. The last correspondence I had with him was a two minute phone call on Christmas."

Jane placed her hand on Maura's forearm and bent down, trying to catch her gaze. She hated seeing her like this. It made the teary, upset Maura seem like a walk in the park compared to where she was now. Jane could feel the heat coming from Maura's body. Her anger was bubbling over.

"Even in my adult life - I mean have you looked at the men I've dated? Garret, a murder; Ian, a criminal; Dennis... It's almost as if I seek pain out. As if I'm always finding a reason to get closer to it. My God, Jane, just look at what I do for a living! Death and murder everywhere. And it doesn't even bother me. I'm not normal!" she exclaimed, nearly out of breath.

"Jane, imagine Frost reading this to you. My history - it's exactly what you would expect to comprise a killer! It can often be neglect that causes the most extreme behavior from individuals, rather than physical abuse. And couple that with a father that enjoys killing for a living and-"

"Hey. Stop it." Jan couldn't bear to hear Maura continue this terrible train of thought. She placed her hand on either side of Maura's head and softly turned her look at her square in the eye. "You are your own person. You are not Paddy or Constance. You're Maura. You are without a doubt the kindest and gentlest person I have ever known. You're so patient; so empathetic."

Jane could feel Maura searching Jane's eyes. There was clearly something else she was looking for.

"How can you see all that? When all I see are people in my life who willingly turned away from me? I think I'm..." Maura looked down, trying to find her words,"I'm afraid I'm incapable of being loved."

Her words felt like a knife through Jane's heart. Jane took Maura's hand from around her knees, forcing Maura to unfurl. She gave them a soft squeeze and rubbed the insides of her palms.

"I know that's not true, because I love you. Literally every part of you," Jane saw Maura's lip turn up slightly. She looked up and held Jane's gaze.

"You do?"

"From your Google-mouth to your insane high heeled shoes. I honestly don't know what I would do without you. You make me want to be a better person. God, I even had salad the other day for lunch!

Maura finally let out a laugh.

"And you are all the more amazing for turning out as you've had. Despite the neglect and the unfortunate genes, you became you. And you're right - you're not normal. You're extraordinary."

Maura felt her eyes begin to water. All those things she doubted in herself were washed away with Jane's reaffirming words.

"Thank you," Maura let out softly. Jane let go of Maura's hands and brought her arms around to run her back.

"Hey, and thank god you exist past your genes and upbringing. I mean have you met my family? I've got a sleazy father, an overbearing mother, and a mess up for a brother. I hope I'm nothing like them. Plus Frankie is so lame."

Maura giggled. It was truly astonishing how Jane could make her at ease. Jane continued to rub soft circles on her back. Maura closed her eyes and continued to let Jane's fingertips trail across the back of her shirt. Every small, physical contact with Jane was always so reassuring. She wish she had a reason for her do this unprompted. Preferably for all hours of the day.

Maura finally opened her eyes and noticed that Jane had closed hers, despite continuing to rub her back. Maura was quite sure Jane would do it all night if she thought she needed it, despite her exhaustion. The doctor knew that Jane had been up for nearly 48 hours straight trying to solve this murder and get Maura free.

Slowly leaning back, Maura repositioned herself to lie back down, bringing Jane with her. Jane opened up her eyes as she felt Maura tug her towards the bed, her arm still caught behind Maura's back. Jane cocked her eyebrow to see if she should attempt to wiggle it free, but Maura had already closed her eyes and adjusted herself to use Jane's outstretched arm as a pillow.

Maura took a deep breath and all she could smell was Jane. It was intoxicating. She couldn't help but let out a small hum of content. And as if Jane could read her thoughts, she felt Jane shift and roll so that she was on her side, facing Maura. Jane's left arm came around, and she began to trace soft patterns against Maura's right arm. They would wind all the way up from her behind her shoulder blade down to her hands. She felt her body finally drift off into sleep as Jane began to trace each of Maura's fingers.


	5. Chapter 5

Jane awoke to find herself teetering at the edge of her bed. She groggily lifted up her head to find Maura splayed out on her stomach, arms and feet out like a starfish. Jane couldn't help but laugh. For all of Maura's poise and elegance, she slept like a barbarian, laying claim over the entire bed. Jane carefully pulled up Maura's right hand, which was lying across her stomach, and eased her way out of the bed.

As she walked towards her shower, the memory of last night began to replay in her head. Jane's stomach tensed up. Had they crossed a line? The only way to really sum up the night was... "intimate." But, no, Maura was in a bad place, and she needed comforting. Jane provided that. Perhaps it wasn't the approach most people would take, but Maura and Jane weren't most people.

As she stepped into the shower, letting the water run over her shoulders, she reconfirmed that she did everything right. Maura pointed out again and again the neglect she felt in her life, and Jane needed to show her how extraordinary she was. And that display needed to be physical. It certainly hadn't been the first time she told Maura to distance herself from her past and to know that she was a kind and caring individual. But what was missing from the past conversations had been the proof. Jane needed to prove to her that she was no longer neglected. Prove that her feelings and insecurities should not only be voiced, but heard. She needed to show her that it was okay to be vulnerable, because Jane was there to reaffirm her abilities.

As she began to work the shampoo into a lather, she couldn't help but question where this left them now. Would Maura feel awkward when she awoke? For that matter, would Jane? Had they crossed some line that would change their friendship?

No, Jane thought, rinsing the last of the suds out._ I was there when she needed me. I gave her what she was looking for - comfort._ Jane bit her lip. Comfort wasn't the word. She showed her love.

* * *

Maura stirred from her slumber, reaching out for the warm body that had been beside her all night. Finding the bed empty, she quickly raised her head and surprised herself when she realized she was not in her own bedroom. Acclimating to her surroundings, she realized that she was in Jane's bed, and the body that she so naturally attempted to pull herself closer to would have been Jane. For a moment she panicked, as last night raced through her head. It was all a bit of a blur, her emotions from the night clouding her memory. She recalled her anger and eventual breakdown. She remembered Jane's strong arms consoling her. Her confession of love and support.

The empty bed made Maura's heart race. She knew Jane wouldn't leave her, like so many before her had, but she felt her stomach tighten at the thought that she may have scared Jane away. What she feared even more was the thought that Jane might have scared herself away. They had fallen asleep together. It certainly wasn't the first time, but last night was unlike any other. They had fallen asleep in one another's arms.

Maura's thoughts were pushed away as she heard the shower shut off. Maura smiled at her own insecurities. Of course Jane hadn't left.

"Hey," Jane smiled.

"Hi."

Jane fidgeted, trying to figure out how to break the ice. As if on cue, her phone rang.

"Rizzoli," she said, as her opened her dresser drawers for clothes and secured her towel.

Maura reached for her own phone, expecting a call to inform her that a body had been found. No call came. She looked back up to Jane.

"Yeah," Jane continued, and turned towards Maura, still speaking to her caller, "Okay. I'll ask her."

Maura raised an eyebrow, when she realized Jane was referring to her. She strained her ears to make out the conversation.

"Yeah we should meet up, away from the precinct. Dirty Robber? Okay. See you then."

Jane hung up her phone and stared back at Maura.

"That was Korsak. Maura, I completely forgot about what you told us when we came to see you. You said there was a dirty cop in BPD. Did you find out anything else?"

It took Maura a second to being herself back to that conversation. It felt like years ago. "Yes, the guard, she informed me that I would always be protected, because Doyle's men were everywhere. I told her that I work for Boston P.D. and had plenty of protection, and she said Doyle had a man working on the inside, relaying information to him about me."

"Oh my god. Did she say who?"

Maura shook her head. "It's terrifying. Being watched and not knowing it."

Jane sat down on the side of the bed. Maura felt the same yearning as last night. She was half a foot away from Jane, but it felt like miles. She so desperately wanted Jane to reach out and rub her back again. She willed herself to look back into Jane's eyes.

"We're going to take care of it, okay? Korsak and Frost already began looking into it this morning. We'll start reviewing the background checks on the whole department. See if any of them had connections to..."

Jane's thoughts trailed off as she started putting pieces together. "Maura, how could I be so stupid?" She rubbed her eyebrows and tossed her hair out of her face. She stood up, muttering, "I've got to go."

Maura searched Jane's face. "What is it? What did you realize?"

"Think about it. Who began working here the second Doyle was put in jail? Who would have dealt with Doyle personally over the last few years given his job title? God, I can't believe this. Both sides would get to go home happy! They must have been at this for years!" Jane walked back into the bathroom to change.

Watching Jane walk away, Maura put the pieces together. "You don't think - Martinez?"

"Come on," she shouted from behind the bathroom door, "it makes so much sense. He magically shows up right when Doyle needs him there. He and Doyle both benefit if Martinez can put away the other drug gangs, making Doyle the only supplier."

"A mutually beneficial relationship..." Maura brought a hand to her mouth. "Do you really think it's him? I mean, you worked together!"

"Don't remind me," Jane all but growled, reemerging from the bathroom, fully dressed. "After I left the drug unit for homicide, Martinez went under cover. Maybe it happened then. I need to talk to Korsak. He's known him longer than I have. I'll have to see of I can get Cavanaugh to pull up his files when he was undercover."

Jane, lost in her thoughts, had already reached for the doorknob before she turned back to realize Maura was still in her bed. She turned back and walked over to the bed, bending down to a crouching position. It reminded her of when she bent down near Maura's couch, having found the doctor out of sorts nearly two days ago. She placed a hand on her bent knee and looked up at her.

"Let me drop you off at your place. You don't need to worry about all of this. I'll talk to Korsak and Frost and stop by for lunch. I'll get two uniforms to stand by outside of your house, okay?"

Maura nodded and placed a hand on top of Jane's, which was still resting on her knee.

"Please find him. Any connection to Doyle just puts me in more danger. I don't want to have anything to do with him."

"I will," she whispered, giving Maura's hand a tight squeeze. She lowered her voice as she looked down at their intertwined fingers, "and I'll make him pay."

* * *

**A/N: Bet y'all thought I forgot all about the actual plot, huh? I'll just give a warning that I plan on taking this story in a different direction than 4x05, and I think it's going to be juicy!**

**And I will forever be astounded by the kind words and support I've received so far. Can't believe I've hit 100 followers! Thank you all so much. If you're interested, please hit me up on my tumblr account (pedalinginhummus) so that we can fangirl about the show together. Hope you enjoyed it!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: It always kills me that we never get any seasons on this show, so I've decided to make it fall. Hope no one is upset with me for changing the timeline, but how could you gloss over Boston in the fall!**

* * *

After double-checking that all the windows in Maura's house were locked and that the uniforms sent over weren't complete morons, Jane decided she had put off leaving Maura for long enough.

They had spent the morning enjoying a quick breakfast at Jane's before making their way back to Maura's. Jane turned out to be correct; the media frenzy had died down since yesterday. Nonetheless, Jane kept Maura close as they entered the house, shielding her from the stray reporters that had stuck around for another sound bite. In fact, she had found reasons to keep a hand or arm on Maura all morning. Whether it was giving her a small push during breakfast as Maura teased her or coming over to needlessly help her put on her zip up hoodie, she had found reasons to stay close.

Though Maura certainly hadn't seemed to mind. Jane felt her staying nearby the entire morning. Maura seemed more relaxed the closer in proximity she was to Jane. While sitting at Jane's counter having breakfast, Jane noticed Maura's knee would continue to accidentally bump into her own. She would apologize for the bump and then go on with her story, eagerly relating Jane's sleeping habits to those of a Grizzly Bear during hibernation. Jane smiled as she saw a flush return to Maura's cheeks while she excitedly explained the similarities. Jane had to bite her lip from spilling Maura's own take-over-the-bed sleeping habits. She happily went along with the teasing and in some places even pointed out some similarities Maura had missed.

"You forgot my insatiable love for honey."

Maura giggled at Jane's response.

"While Grizzly Bears do enjoy honey, they don't climb trees like Black Bears do. So your reasoning is a bit flawed."

Another accidental knee bump. "Oops, sorry."

They finished their breakfast and Jane stepped outside while Maura finished getting ready. Jane finally felt at ease once she had stepped out into the cool, autumn air. The slight breeze felt good against her cheeks. Jane closed her eyes, listening to the fallen leaves stir across the ground. She hadn't realized how much she missed the teasing. She missed her laugh even more.

"Oh, it's chilly!"

Maura grasped the front of hoodie she borrowed from Jane as she stepped outside, pulling it more tightly to her small frame. Jane smirked; the sweatshirt was oversized on Jane, so it practically swallowed Maura. Maura's hands were lost in a sea of fabric, the sleeves a good 6 inches too long. The bottom of the hoodie went down to her mid-thigh.

"Well you should be zipped up!" Jane beckoned her over with a nod of the head. "Come here."

Maura sheepishly stepped forward, pushing the sleeves past her elbows to make sure of her hands.

"No, no" Jane said, reaching out her arms to grab the zipper. "I've got it."

Jane slowly began to zip the sweater up. There it was again. That familiar feeling of clammy hands and hot ears. _Is it possible for your ears to sweat? Maura would be the only one who'd know. _Jane was eternally grateful for the brisk, October weather - without it, she felt like she might pass out. She continued to zip the jacket up Maura's torso until she finally came to a stop right below her clavicle.

Realizing she had stopped for a few moments, staring at the hollow point as the base of Maura's neck, Jane quickly shot her head up to see if Maura noticed the pause. All she found was Maura looking back at her. _What was Maura thinking?_ Jane swallowed thickly. _Was that a look of... determination?_

Flustered, Jane decided to break the moment. She grabbed the back of Maura's hoodie and pulled it over her head. The oversized hoodie fell past Maura's eyes.

Jane laughed. "There. Warm?"

Maura chuckled and lifted up the hoodie enough so that she could make eye contact with her.

"You know, a lot of people wouldn't put up with your abuse."

"So you tell me. But as we well know, you are not a lot of people. You're not even most people," she teased.

"Extraordinary, I believe it was?"

Another slow swallow. This was the first moment they had really brought up their conversation from last night. Jane smiled, trying to determine how to best tip-toe around the situation. She hated feeling so out of control.

"C'mon. You're going to be terribly late meeting Sergeant Korsak." Maura bumped Jane's elbow with her own, letting the moment die out.

"He texted me while you were getting ready," Jane explained, as they made their way towards the car, "Says he and Frost already have a handle on it, and that they would give me a hall pass on missing the tedious filing stuff. I owe them both a beer tonight. So I'll make sure you're settled and that the uniforms aren't entirely incompetent before I go."

Without thinking about it, Jane opened the passenger side door for Maura. Maura slid in, happy to have an excuse for Jane to stay a little while longer.

* * *

While Jane was outside talking to the uniformed cops who would be keeping watch in her absence, Maura slipped upstairs to get dressed. She carefully folded Jane's sweatshirt, mindlessly running a hand over the faded stain on the right side. She remembered that stain. It happened one of the first times Jane had invited Maura over to her apartment. Maura remembered knocking on her door, wracked with nerves. She could hear shouts and screams that she later found out was Frankie and Jane's father shouting at the TV.

Jane had opened the door, trying in a failed attempt to wipe off the salsa she had spilled momentarily before on her favorite sweatshirt.

"Hey Maura," she said with a grin. "Let me pre-apologize for my family."

Maura smiled back, at a loss for words. Within moments she had been given the warm hug by Jane's mother. It was astounding. A woman she had never met before suddenly showed her more warmth and affection than her own mother had ever shown. She smiled and sat silently, enjoying the general chaos that was the Rizzolis watching a Patriots game.

Maura shook herself out of the memory and turned to leave her room. She peered out the window in the hallway to see Jane finishing up with the officers outside. She suddenly felt a pang when she realized this would finally bring her and Jane's time to an end for the rest of the day.

When has she become so needy? Every moment away from Jane felt wrong. Her body seemed to seek Jane's out like a magnet. This is not who she was. She had always prided herself in being an independent woman. Though mostly due to necessity, she still was proud that she knew how to live a happy and fulfilling life without depending on anyone else. Now she felt like a mess. How many times had she broken down the last few days? How many ways did she find an excuse to have Jane nearby? Would this sense of paranoia ever step?

Maura brought a hand to her face, embarrassed by her actions. She felt like a child. How was she going to handle the rest of the day is she already felt a pull towards Jane when she was right outside?

Maura's head turned as she heard the door open.

"Hey Maura?" Jane called out, "I'm getting ready to head over to the precinct."

Maura walked down the first few steps. She wanted nothing more than to fall into Jane's arms, but she stayed at the top of the stairs.

"Goodbye, Jane. Thank you for securing the officers while you're out."

"Oh - uh - alright, "Jane stammered. She stood there dumbly, waiting for Maura to come down the stairs. When she realized Maura had no plans to, Jane ran her fingers through her unruly hair, and put a hand on the door knob. "See you later. Do you want me to grab you if we head to the Dirty Robber later? If you're feeling up for it?"

"That would be nice. Thank you."

Jane hesitated. She certainly had expected a bigger goodbye. Was it wrong that she so badly wanted to protect Maura that she found herself upset when Maura showed that she was strong and independent?

"You're sure you're alright?"

"Yes, Jane. I'm fine. I'll see you tonight."

And with that, Jane watched Maura turn around and head back up the stairs, leaving her to show herself out alone.

* * *

Jane drove to work on autopilot as she re-ran the morning events in her head. What exactly had gone wrong between checking the locks and going outside? Maura's entire demeanor seem to have shifted. Had she done something wrong? Or had Maura finally put his fear behind her, and didn't need Jane to protect and console her anymore? It was such a stark contrast to breakfast.

Jane shook her head and decided to focus on the task at hand. Martinez. He was the reason for Maura's uneasiness. Stopping him would return things back to normal.

Frost and Korsak had been sifting through the background checks on each of the officers in their department, reporting that they had found no red flags so far. Jane leafed through Martinez's file. Spotless, of course. With all his years undercover, Jane expected nothing less. Rather than waste her time looking through the other officers, Jane set off to find Lieutenant Cavanaugh. He would be the only one with answers on Martinez.

As she pushed back her chair and slapped Martinez's file on the desk , Korsak stopped her.

"Jane," he warned, "You need to be careful. You know the kind of enemies you can make by accusing one of your own."

"Yeah, only if I'm wrong."

Korsak gave her a look. "Watch yourself."

Jane made eyes with Frost, who nodded in agreement with Korsak. "It's just a hunch right now, Jane. We don't have anything tying him to Doyle."

"Yet."

* * *

Jane approached Lieutenant Cavanaugh's office and rolled her shoulders. She knocked and almost immediately heard Cavanaugh beckon her in.

Jane chose her words with care, attempting to avoid anything that could be considered an accusation.

"So if the prison guard says that someone is in BPD working for Doyle," she continued, "I think we would want to check the drug unit first, given Doyle's influence on the drug market And it sounds like he's put someone here since he's gone into prison and can't watch over her for himself."

Cavanaugh raised his eyebrows at that last comment.

"And, sir, I certainly don't want to needlessly point fingers, but Detective Martinez joined right at the same time. And given his under cover work..."

Cavanaugh took a moment before raising his head to face Jane.

"Rizzoli. I can't have you stirring up anything, alright? You need to be discreet. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, sir."

"I'll get you the files you need on Martinez, but you'll have to give me sometime. I don't want to draw any attention to this."

"Yes, of course, sir. Thank you."

Jane exited his office and returned to Korsak and Frost with a new fervor. They spent the rest of the day reviewing documents. She still thought it pointless, but she enjoyed joking around with the guys, and doing something mindless while she waited for Cavanaugh's report.

"When did he say he'd get it for you, Jane?" Frost asked, typing away on his computer. It was nearly 4:30.

"I don't know. He told me not to rush him, but I figured he'd have gotten it by now. What's up with that look?"

Frost pushed his monitor towards Jane and Korsak. "Should we be worried?"

Jane saw Cavanaugh's picture staring back at her.

"What are we looking at?"

"I was sort of fooling around, trying to see if I could view a few of the higher personnel files."

"Yeah, Cavanaugh started in the drug unit, just like most of us. So what?"

"Look again."

Jane scanned the details on the computer screen. She felt her heart begin to race as she saw Doyle's name. Once. Twice. Five times.

Jane turned towards Korsak, stricken with fear.

"Is this true? Have we seen him all day? I haven't seem him since this morning!"

Korsak rubbed his forehead. "Sean did do some undercover work for a while. Yeah, I think he did blend into Doyle's crew, but so did a lot of us."

Jane barely heard him. She had given Cavanaugh everything. She told him about the dirty cop, that Maura was with two officers, and then she had given him the entire fucking day to get out completely unnoticed.

Jane grabbed her blazer from the back of her chair and left without a word, hurriedly punch Maura's number into her phone._ Please pick up, Please pick up..._

By the fifth ring, Jane was in a sprint, racing towards her car. No answer.

* * *

**A/N: Hope this slightly longer chapter makes up for the delay. And of course a big thanks to all of you that take the time to review. I appreciate it so much! Also had to add a smidge of fluff in the beginning given all this angst. But don't worry, we'll be right back in it for the next chapter!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **Not sure if it's necessary to warn you, but please note that there is some violence ahead.

* * *

By the fourth call, Jane hit 70 mph. She flew through another red light, sirens blaring.

"Maura..." she begged into the phone._ Pick up, pick up._

Jane let out another string of expletives. How could she have been so careless? And yet, did she have cause for concern? The prison guard said that Doyle had someone on the inside protecting Maura. So would Cavanaugh have any reason to hurt her?

The car screeched as Jane forced it into a sharp turn, cutting down a one way street. If she had nothing to worry about, then why hadn't Maura picked up the phone? Cavanaugh may have realized that Maura may be his only bargaining chip once he knew that Jane could connect him with Doyle.

"Fuck, Maura," she whispered, as the fifth call proved unsuccessful. "Just hold on. I'm coming, I'm coming."

As she pulled onto Maura's street, Jane immediately noticed that the unmarked car with the two uniforms was gone. She got out of the car, hand on her gun. She noticed another Crown Victoria parked three cars up. She removed the gun from her holster and slowly approached the car. She walked to it cautiously, peering inside the windows. The picture of Cavanaugh's wife and child confirmed it.

_Fuck._

* * *

Maura had spent the morning tidying up around the kitchen. She expected to feel exhausted, but instead found herself wired and unsure of what to do with herself. She wanted to be back in the morgue. Nothing gave her more confidence and relaxation than beginning the Y incision. The feeling of the cool instruments against her fingers was like meditation. The cold air of the morgue made her feel at ease. She was in her element down there, and she craved feeling a sense of empowerment again.

Wiping down her spotless counter for the second time, Maura realized she needed to find something else to do. Knowing that she wasn't allowed to leave her house, she began to make her way upstairs to the yoga room. Perhaps the Savasana pose could help bring her the relaxation she so desperately needed.

Sitting atop her legs, Maura took a deep breath and attempted to clear her mind. She laughed at herself; attempting to avoid Jane only brought her to the forethought of her mind. Jane's warm smile appeared before her. Try as she might, she realized that she no longer could say that she cared solely for herself. Jane had woven her way through her heart. Maura cringed at the though of pushing Jane out so abruptly this morning. Jane had shown her nothing but kindness, and Maura paid her back by promptly shoving her out the door.

Right as Maura began to think of ways to make up for her poor behavior, she heard the doorbell ring. Maura froze. Surely the two policemen outside would have stopped anyone from getting to the door?

Maura's curiosity got the better of her. She quietly crept down the stairs and looked through the peephole. She let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. It was only Lieutenant Cavanaugh.

"Lieutenant," she smiled, "won't you come in?"

"Thanks, Dr. Isles," Cavanaugh smiled back, "Glad to see you looking well." He stepped aside, letting Maura close and lock the door behind him. "Hope you don't mind, I let the two fellas outside take a little break while I was over here. I let them know you were in good hands."

"Oh I'm sure they were happy to take a break. May I fix you something to drink?"

"Oh no, Dr. Isles, I just wanted to check in to see how you were doing. I wanted to let you know that we've got Dr. Pike covering for you as long as you need."

Maura groaned inwardly, "How, um, nice. But no, I should be back as soon as all of this gets sorted out."

Maura bit her lip. Had Jane talked to Cavanaugh? Had she given away too much? From what she could hear from Jane's phone conversations, it sounded like they wanted to keep the whole thing quiet.

There was a pause. Maura was unsure how to proceed. She found it strange that Cavanaugh was here in the first place; she didn't take him for the kind of man who made home visits often. Couldn't all of this be done over the phone?

"On second thought," Cavanaugh said, breaking the silence, "I will take that drink, if you're still offering."

Maura smiled politely. "Of course. Coffee or tea?"

As she began to walk towards her kitchen, she heard her cellphone ring. A jolt of excitement shot through her. _That must be Jane checking in!_

She turned to find Cavanaugh holding her phone, a small smile on his face.

Maura gave him a curious look, and smiled as she extended her hand, expecting Cavanaugh to place the phone in it.

Cavanaugh didn't move.

"Lieutenant?" Maura asked hesitantly.

All of a sudden the room began to swirl. She invited Cavanaugh in, allowed him to send her backup home, and now stood defenseless in her own living room.

"Sean..." Maura felt her breath begin to quicken.

"I prefer we stick to our formal names. This is simply business, after all."

The phone had already started to ring again.

"That's - that's Jane. I know it is. And if I don't answer, she's going to know something's wrong."

"I'm fully aware of that Dr. Isles, which is why I'm hoping you'll come quietly."

Maura's mind began racing. The only thing she had was home court advantage. She began to think of what she could use in the living room as a weapon. She glanced sideways to the kitchen, trying to judge if she could make it from where she was. No, Cavanaugh has the advantage. He'd be able to block her, unless she could distract him somehow.

Working off of pure adrenaline, Maura picked up the lamp nearest to her, and threw it at him. Though she didn't make much impact, it was enough time to let her run into the kitchen and grab a knife.

"Dr. Isles, do we really need to go through all of this? I really don't think you want to mess up that pretty face of yours."

Maura held the knife out, her hands shaking. "Why are you doing this? If you're here to protect me, why aren't you letting me answer Jane?"

The phone was now beginning to ring for a third time. At this point, Maura was sure that Jane would have decided to check in on her. But the precinct was 15 minutes away. She needed to drag out her capture for as long as possible.

"For all Jane says about you, you really are a very simple girl," Cavanaugh said with a sick smile, "My allegiance is to my money. Doyle supplied it for many years. We had a pretty great partnership throughout the 80s. Doyle knows that he can trust me to get the job done, so long as I'm paid well for it. My rise in power at PBD helped us both."

"But Doyle's a worried man," Cavanaugh continued, slowly getting closer to Maura, "He insisted that I take further steps to watch over you when he was shot and news broke about your connection to him."

"Further steps?"

"I had to find reasons to stop by, so I started seeing that blathering woman to keep closer tabs on you," he said, inching closer.

Maura gasped and brought her hand to her mouth. "You... and Angela. None of it was real?"

Cavanaugh took Maura's stunned look at his opportunity to make a move. He lunged forward and grabbed one of her arms. In her panic, Maura attempted to swipe across with the knife while squirming to get away. She made a small cut on his left arm, but he was able to back her against the kitchen island. The force of the hit against the marble countertop caused Maura to drop the knife.

"Big mistake," he said, pushing Maura into the counter again and grabbing a fistful of her hair.

Maura's cell, now on the floor, began ringing again._ The fourth time._

"Putting your faith is Rizzoli was a poor choice, Doctor. She assumed Doyle put security at the precinct when he was put in jail. Turns out she was completely wrong, wasn't she?" Cavanaugh laughed, "she was always a sorry excuse for a cop."

Maura winced from the pull Cavanaugh had on her hair.

"Get off of me!"

With her free arm, Maura threw out an elbow and hit Cavanaugh in the throat. She gasped at the pain from the bruises on her forearm, which were still tender from the night she was drugged. Cavanaugh let go of her arm as he choked for breath, and Maura broke away and scrambled for the phone. She felt Cavanaugh reach out for her again, but she was able to slip through. She rushed towards the door, grasping at the handle with panic, but felt Cavanaugh's arm around her waist. She screamed and kicked, but he was able to drag her back into the house and shut the door with his foot.

"You're worth about twice what I'm getting," he muttered, heaving her further back into the house. The phone began to ring for the fifth time, and it was clear that Cavanaugh realized his time was now running short. He stepped over to the phone and slammed it with his foot, shattering it into pieces.

Maura and Cavanaugh both froze for a second at the sound of sirens. They were faint. Right when Maura felt excitement begin to surge through her body, the sirens stopped. She strained to hear them again. But they were gone.

Cavanaugh laughed, "Told you, you're giving her too much credit."

His grin instantly faded when he heard a car come to a stop outside. Keeping a strong hold on Maura, Cavanaugh peered put the window. It was an unmarked police car.

"Damn it," he growled. He tugged Maura into the back of the house. "Make a sound, and it'll be the last thing you remember."

"You can't hurt me, if you're planning to send me to someone else," Maura said, still struggling against his grip.

"You are sorely mistaken, Doctor. Kill you, no, but there are many ways to cause pain without leaving a noticeable mark." He gave another sharp tug of her hair, "Now keep quiet."

Cavanaugh waited in the patio until her heard the front door open. He knew Jane would be armed, and he needed to put enough distance between them. He realized that reaching for his own gun would be difficult, given that Maura wouldn't cooperate as he had expected her to. He pulled Maura out the gate to the patio and quickly made his way towards the door, his hand around Maura's mouth, attempting to keep her screams quiet.

He opened up the trunk to his car, and shoved Maura inside. He heard her head bump the trunk as it came down.

Cavanaugh was glad enough that would keep her quiet for awhile. He heard a flurry of sirens and realized Jane must have called for back up. He smiled and put the key in the ignition, knowing that had just enough time to get out completely unseen.

"Looking for this?"

Cavanaugh jumped as he heard Jane Rizzoli's voice coming from the front of his car. She stood, gun raised steadily in one hand, the connecting hose to the car's engine in the other.

Hair swirling in the cool October breeze, Jane coolly removed the safety from her gun.

"Make the slightest move, and I'll shoot a bullet through your head."

* * *

**A/N:** I may or may not have been influenced by The Sound of Music during that last scene. :)

Thanks for reviewing and following! So appreciated!


	8. Chapter 8

She felt a light tingling sensation against her skin. Fingertips were running up and down her arm, and a far away voice was calling her name. Those soft fingertips caused the hair on her arm to stand up. She quickly realized that she cold, but couldn't move. The voice continued to say her name, again and again.

"Maura...Maura, wake up. Come on, Maura," the voice continued.

Maura fought to open her eyes. She blinked twice, trying to get the world to stop spinning. When it finally did settle down, she found one frightened Jane Rizzoli staring back at her.

"Oh, thank god!" Maura heard her say. She felt Jane pick up the front half of her body and pull her into a hug. She heard Jane let out a choked sob and felt Jane's tears against her neck.

"You're alright, you're alright," she repeated, slowly rocking back and forth.

"Ma'am, we need you to step back. She needs to be examined."

Maura felt the warmth against her left check disappear as Jane finally pulled away. As Maura felt Jane's hands slip away, she shot out her arm.

"Don't go."

Jane nodded nervously back. "I'm right here. Let me help you get out." Jane offered her arm and with the help of a medic, slowly lifted Maura out of the car. They brought her to the back of the ambulance and sat her down. Maura didn't let go of Jane's hand.

She stared back emotionless as the medics began to examine her. After shining the light into her eyes and asking mundane questions, the medics confirmed that she may have suffered form a slight concussion. Maura heard Korsak come over and speak in soft tones to Jane.

"We need a statement from the two of you. It looks like Cavanaugh is going to make a deal. He says he can offer the whereabouts to nearly every drug gang leader in the city."

Jane felt the hand around hers tighten. Maura's eyes pleaded back, asking her to stay. Jane squeezed back and turned to her.

"I'll only be a moment. I'll stand right over there and keep an eye on you the whole time, ok?"

Maura looked down and nodded. Jane rubbed her arm, gave her another small squeeze and stood up to talk to the officers. She informed them that she found Cavanaugh's car, opened the hood to remove the engine hose to ensure he couldn't get away, and then went inside. When she saw Maura's broken cell phone on the ground, she turned back and saw Cavanaugh dragging Maura across the street. She crept up, pointed the gun, and waiting unflinchingly for the cavalry to show up. Moments later Frost took her post and after wrestling Cavanaugh's keys from him, which earned her a pop in the mouth, she opened the trunk and nearly cried out when she found Maura unconscious in the trunk.

Jane kept her eyes trained on Maura the entire time she gave her statement, watching as another officer asked Maura to repeat her story. Her heart broke as she saw Maura fidget with a loose strand from the hem of her shirt, which had come unraveled when it caught on the patio gate. As soon as she was done she rushed back over and told the officer to wrap up his interview.

Jane turned to one of the medics, "Will she need to go to the hospital?"

"No, she just needs to keep some ice on the back of her head, and she shouldn't go to bed for another 6 hours in case there was a small concussion."

Jane nodded, and then turned to Korsak. "Where will she go tonight?"

"Witness Protection will look after her in a hotel room until they think she's safe. If Cavanaugh confesses, she may be only be out for a weekend, if she chooses to stay in Boston."

Jane felt her stomach leap into her throat. Maura's arm grabbed hers from behind, as she pleaded, "Jane, please... I can't do this. Please don't let them take me," she wiped away a tear with the back of her hand and whispered, "I'm so scared. I don't think I can do this alone."

Jane knelt down and put her hand on Maura's knee, searching her eyes for the right thing to say. How could she make her feel safe? Especially after telling her she was in good hands when she left her with two people she didn't know this morning. Of course she wouldn't feel safe now, being completely removed from everyone and everything she knows.

"Vince," she said, turning her head towards Korsak, "let me go with her. She needs an officer in the room, and I'm more than capable of-"

"Jane, you know that's not up to me-"

"Well it sure as hell isn't up to Cavanaugh!" she argued, "You're next in command. My orders now come from you,"

Korsak looked into Jane's steely eyes and knew there was no point in arguing. "If you can convince Witness Protection..."

Jane smiled and turned back to Maura. "It's going to be okay. Just give me a few minutes."

And with that, Jane turned on her heel and walked over to the black SUV that had just joined the scene. She pushed back her hair from her face and demanded to see who was in charge.

* * *

Jane wheeled Maura's suitcase into the room, which was now filled with two nights clothes for the two of them, and went back to speak to the muscles out front. She told them that they were not allowed to leave their post before speaking directly to her, no matter the time of night. Walking back into the room she found Maura perched on the edge of the bed, staring back at Jane.

"Thank you for coming. I honestly... I'm not sure I would have had it in me to do this alone."

Jane walked to the bed and sat down facing her.

"I wouldn't have let it happen. After making so many stupid mistakes," Jane trailed off, trying to keep her voice steady, "Maura, I was afraid you'd never look at me again for having put you in harm's way."

"What? Jane don't be ridiculous! You've known Cavanaugh for years, none of us would have expected it."

"But I'm a detective! It's my job to protect. It's my job to know when people are lying!" Jane reached out for Maura's hands. "When I kept calling you, and I couldn't get an answer... I was so scared. I was so afraid I wouldn't get there in time."

"But you made it." Maura smiled, pulling her hands from Jane's to brush a fallen strand of hair behind Jane's ears. "Thank you."

Maura furrowed her brow as she examined her face. "Oh Jane, you're hurt! Why didn't you get this checked out?"

"Huh? Oh yeah," Jane said, bringing her hand to her lip, "Cavanaugh knocked me when I reached down to get his keys. Guess I hadn't thought about it since, with everything going on."

Maura didn't say anything. With a small smile she got off from the bed and moved to the bathroom. Jane heard the sound of water running from the sink faucet. When Maura returned, she was dabbing a wash cloth into the bowl of water.

"Here," Maura's voice came out softly. Jane felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end as Maura leaned in to dab the washcloth against the cut in her lip.

Jane let out a small noise from the pressure.

"Sorry," Maura said and lessened the pressure, "I just wanted to make sure the wound was cleaned. I forget what it's like working with people instead of bodies..."

"No, it's okay," Jane murmured back. "It's fine."

Maura smiled and continued the dab, leaning in to make sure the cut appeared clean. Jane felt herself go cross-eyed as Maura leaned closer, causing Maura to giggle. She leaned in closer on purpose to make her do it again, and all of a sudden found herself almost nose to nose with Jane.

Unsure of what to do with herself, Jane laughed and pushed her back.

"My mom use to tell me my eyes would get stuck like that whenever I would tease Frankie," Jane paused and then asked, "Is that even true?"

"When the eyes fatigue, they revert back to their central position. Just an old wives tale."

"Yeah, probably just Ma trying to get me to quit looking like an idiot."

Maura smiled and continued to stare at Jane.

"What? Was is it? Is there something on my face?"

"It's just that I've spent my whole life feeling like I was out of place. I've never felt like a part of my family. I never fit in at school. But when I look at you," she took a deep breath, "I feel like I belong."

Jane was unsure how to respond. She decided to forgo words. She brought her arms around Maura and pulled her to rest against her and leaned them both against the headboard. Maura snuggled in and closed her eyes.

"Hey," Jane whispered, peeking an eye open, "no sleeping."


	9. Chapter 9

"What about-" Jane was forced to pause as she yawned, "dancing? You're going to tell me there's scientific reasoning for that?"

Jane nudged Maura, forcing her to stay awake. She had spent the last two hours having Maura explain evolutionary cause and effect in their every day lives in order to keep her from falling asleep. Following the medic's orders, Jane only had one hour left, but she was beginning to find it harder and harder to keep Maura from nodding off.

Maura fought as sleep continued to try to pull her in. "Jane don't be ridiculous. Dancing is an integral part of one's cultural identity."

"So the fact that we grind up on each other says what about Americans?"

"Well, that sex plays a large part in our lives. Many view dancing now as a way to gage a partner's sexual compatibility."

"So if you can't dance, you're bad in bed?"

"That's a flawed syllogism.'

Jane watched Maura close her eyes.

"Hey, no sleeping. Come on, doctor's order. One more hour."

Maura pouted.

"Not on my watch."

Knowing she had no chance, she resolutely sighed and leaned back into the pillow.

"So are you a good dancer?" Maura asked, eyes still closed.

Jane felt herself freeze at the question. Was Maura simply curious, or was that question laced with a lot more behind it?

"Uh, you know, I can keep rhythm."

Maura smirked at her response, only then causing Jane to realize her own accidental innuendo.

Blushing, Jane turned the tables. "I assume you're pretty good, huh? All those years of ballet?"

"Well, I can follow directions well,"_ Dear God, Jane, focus. She's talking about ballet. Get your mind out of the gutter_ "but I've never really danced without instructions."

"What? You've never been to a school dance or something? You had to have gone to one at a frat party when you were in college."

"No," Maura said wistfully, "I was never invited."

Jane bit the side of her cheek. _Nice going, moron. You better make this right._

"Maura Isles, want to go dancing tomorrow night?"

Maura opened her eyes and turned to Jane, who was smiling goofily at her.

"I can promise in one night, you'll realize you missed absolutely nothing. Music that's too loud, drinks that are too expensive, and super sleazy guys trying to grope you."

Maura's face lit up. "Really? I thought that would be the last thing you'd be interested in."

"That's an accurate statement. But we can't have you thinking you're missing out on a big experience. I know everyone wants to congratulate you, maybe we can arrange for something at the dirty robber."

So Jane and Maura spent the rest of the hour discussing the proposed party. They imagined how Maura would have to sneak away from Dr. Pike, and they both hoped they could watch Frost and Frankie show off some of their dance moves. As the hour finally came to a close, Jane found that she had no excuse to be laying in Maura's bed when there was another queen sized bed two feet from her.

Jane rolled off the bed and moved over to the empty one, which felt much too cold.

With a final goodnight to Maura, Jane turned off the light. Despite how tired she was almost moments ago, she now felt fully charged. It was as if her body had a magnetic pull towards Maura. She turned to the opposite wall and tried to control herself. It felt as of an electric spark was running between them. She had no idea what to do with herself. She swallowed and worked to steady her breathing. But with every soft move Maura made from the other bed, Jane could feel the hairs on her arm stand up.

This was going to be a long night.

* * *

Jane awoke the next morning to the sound of the phone ringing.

"'Ello?"

"Jane," Korsak's voice answered back, "He confessed. Everything. We can check Maura out of Witness Protection if she wants to."

Jane snapped to attention.

"Thank God! Maura wake up!" Jane threw her pillow over at Maura.

"Oh!" Maura exclaimed, having gotten a face full of pillow. "What is it? Did he talk?"

Jane finished up with Korsak and relayed the information back to Maura. She admitted that it would be necessary for Maura to move given that her address had gotten out, but because Cavanaugh traded information on multiple gangs, it was deemed safe for Maura to return to work. Still, Jane insisted on 24 hour surveillance for at least the next two days, just to be sure.

She left Maura for a few hours to finish up the paperwork related to the case. While at work, she began to spread the word that they would celebrate Maura's return at the Dirty Robber tonight. It wasn't exactly the club experience she had promised Maura last night, but she figured it would do.

* * *

Maura made her way to the Dirty Robber at 6:00. She nervously smoothed down her wrinkle free Marc Jacobs dress. The fit dress was a shocking shade of blue that had been sitting in her closet for far too long.

The only word to describe the Dirty Robber was packed. Maura had never seems so many people at the bar. She saw Frankie spot her at the door, who quickly shouted at everyone, "Maura's here!"

The crowd turned and faced Maura, and she was greeted with applause. Blushing and thanking the group, she searched through the crowd until she found Jane. Jane rushed over and pulled her into a hug.

"Pretty good turnout, huh? Who knew you were so popular?"

Maura smiled and felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Shots! For my two favorite ladies."

Giovanni smiled and shoved a shot glass in her hands. "You look hot, by the way. Awesome color. C'mon, bottoms up!"

Maura threw a look to Jane who smiled back.

"Here have mine. I'm sticking with beer tonight."

Maura took the first and before she cold finish making a face, she was already being pulled in the opposite direction.

"Dr. Isles is taking shots!" Jane heard from some one in the crowd, "Next rounds on me."

And like that Jane lost Maura in the sea of people. She made her way over to her favorite booth to hang out with Frost and Korsak.

Throughout the night, Jane would catch a glimpse of Maura before the crowd engulfed her again. She could see her laughing and talking to the other detectives, her face flushed from the alcohol and excitement. Jane watched Maura lean into the group, and then smile as a song came on. The crowd began to dance, and Maura was lost again. She reappeared in Jane's view again a few minutes later, dancing and laughing.

Jane stared sullenly into her drink. She hadn't imagined the night going quite like this. She expected to be with Maura, perhaps clumsily bumping into her while the crowd moved in time to the song. Instead she was watching Maura do all those things with a cluster of detectives. She scowled and attempted to bring herself back into the conversation. Frost and Korsak had been exchanged with Frankie and Angela, but to Jane it was all the same. It was not Maura.

Jane swallowed the last of her beer and pushed up off the table to make her way the door to get some air. She stepped outside and cursed as the cold hit her. She realized her jacket was still in the booth, but she wasn't ready to bring herself back into the party.

Jane scuffed her boot against the ground and watched her breath form in the cold October air. She had never smoked, never had any particular interest to, but at this moment she suddenly felt the allure. She imagined holding the cigarette between her fingers and feeling the stress and annoyance dispel from her body with each breath.

Jane raked her fingers through her hair and rubbed her hands against her arms, trying to stay warm. What exactly was she so upset about? What did she want to happen?

Before she had the chance to dwell on it, she heard the door open followed by a small thud.

Maura was staring back at her, breathless. "There you are! I just slipped," she said, laughing at herself. Her smile faded off of Jane's expression. "What's wrong? Where have you been? You're not leaving are you? You must be freezing!"

Jane shrugged and looked away. Maura's flushed cheeks and breathless stance made her angrier. Clearly Jane wasn't needed in order for her to have a good time.

"Yeah, I think I'll head out soon. Been a long few days..." she trailed off and scuffed her feet again. "Glad you're having fun though."

Maura huffed. "Well it doesn't sound like you are. Why - why don't you come inside? I thought we were going to dance. I want to see you keep rhythm," Maura said with a sly smile, her body swaying forward as she tried to keep her balance.

Maura's comment made Jane even more frustrated. "You seem to be doing fine on your own."

"What? What are you talking about?" Maura clumsily brushed a loose stand behind her ear with the back of her hand. "Jane?"

Jane couldn't handle it anymore. She knew she had no reason to be angry at Maura, but she couldn't control herself. "I'm going to head home. Have fun."

"What? Jane?" Maura asked as Jane crossed her to make her way back to the door to grab her jacket. "Why are you behaving this way?"

With one hand on the door, Jane turned back and looked over her shoulder at Maura. "Like what?"

"Like I've done something wrong! All I've done is enjoy the party you organized. How is that a bad thing?"

Jane paused. "I'm just tired, Maura." Tired of all of this. Tired of feeling so confused whenever she was around her. Jane turned back and walked inside, leaving a confused and bewildered Maura standing in the parking lot, staring at the closed door.

* * *

**A/N:** Thank you so much for all of your support. Especially to those of you who have reviewed more than once. It's so great to hear from all of you!

I'm trying to draw a nice balance between fluff and angst, so let me know if you think I'm leaning to heavily in one direction. Getting ready to wrap up soon!


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Thanks again to the reviewers! I know a few of you felt like Jane was acting unfairly, so I wanted to make sure she got a chance to explain herself. I was planning to wrap up everything in this chapter, but Jane's apology took me in a slightly different direction than expected. Hope y'all enjoy!

* * *

Maura continued to stare at the door, completely at a loss. She had just been through the most horrific week of her entire life, but this moment seemed to sting harder than everything else. Despite the terrifying experiences she had faced dealing with the case, she knew she always had Jane by her side. Now she just felt completely at a loss.

Alone again.

She hadn't felt this way since she found out that Paddy was her father nearly four years ago. He certainly didn't provide her any familial comfort, but seeing Jane, Frost, and Korsak stick up and protect her made her feel like she was a part of a family after all.

Maura furiously stomped her foot against the pavement. Why was Jane behaving like a child? They talk about everything, so why was Jane hiding whatever was making her uncomfortable? _And why is she taking it out on me?_

Maura felt heat crawl up her chest and neck as her frustration turned into anger. Right as she was about to walk towards the bar to give Jane a piece of her mind, she found a tall, lanky figure hurtling towards her at full speed. Before she could even say anything, Maura was pushed backwards a few feet as Jane threw herself on top of her in an enormous hug.

"Jane-" she was cut off as she heard Jane muffled apologies against her neck. Maura, still clumsy on her feet from the alcohol, stumbled backwards again as she supported Jane's weight. Jane finally pulled back and threw her hair out of her face.

"Maura, I'm so sorry. I'm just... I'm frustrated with myself. And I'm taking it out on you. You just- I was so scared. Maura, you don't know how lucky we were that Cavanaugh confessed. You were so close to having to be sent away to Witness Protection. They would have taken you out of Boston and would never allow us to contact one another again."

Maura grabbed Jane's hands to stop her from wringing them. Maura realized she had been so naïve. She never considered where she would be had Cavanaugh not confessed and revealed the location of the other gang members. The thought of being ripped away from Boston, her job, her co-workers, Jane...

Jane took a deep breath and continued, "I can't imagine what work would be like with you, what life would be like without you. And then tonight... I just had this sudden panic that maybe I would experience what it was like to be without you even if you were still here in Boston. Maybe you'd just decide to leave Boston. Or leave work. Or leave me."

Jane shook her head and looked down at their hands, which were still clasped.

"I'm sorry. I know I was overreacting. Like I said, it's been a long few days," Jane smiled weakly and pulled away from Maura's grasp. "Listen, you should stay. Have a good time. I just need to think some things through. I just didn't want us to leave on a bad note."

Jane finally met Maura's eyes and raised her eyebrows, hoping Maura would accept her apology. She realized about two steps into the bar that she had been out of line. Her confession to Maura was true; she had felt all of the things she told her, but she knew it was more than that. She wasn't just upset about losing Maura, she was jealous. There was no way past it. And that was the reason she knew she needed to leave tonight. She needed to take the time to sort out her feelings. She needed to confront these emotions that she had been sweeping under the rug for far too long.

"Jane," Maura said, taking a step closer, not breaking eye contact, "take me home."

Jane swallowed thickly. Was there anything to think about?

"What? You can't leave the party. It's for you!"

"Jane. Take me home."

Jane began to rub her scars as she looked at Maura's determined face. It was clear there was no arguing with her.

"You're sure?"

"Jane. I don't have a house to go back to. I assumed I was sleeping at your place to begin with."

Jane blushed and smiled sheepishly. God she was such an idiot!

"Of course! Yeah, right. Ok, let's use these guys to get us back there," Jane said, mentioning to the two uniforms parked out front, "I don't think either of us should be driving right now."

Maura laughed and nodded. She walked with Jane to the police car, bumping into her twice, their fingers brushing up against one another. Jane held open the car door for Maura and slid in next to her. Despite the roomy backseat, she noticed Maura stayed close, their knees bumping together with every turn.

* * *

Jane fumbled with the keys as they stood outside Maura's door. Her sullen attitude had vanished at she and Maura stumbled up the steps to her apartment, laughing at their own ridiculousness. She walked in and dropped the keys, making her way to the fridge.

"Nightcap?"

"Probably not needed. I've already crossed the amount I would normally allow for myself."

"Ah come on Maura, you're not going to make me drink alone are you?"

Maura couldn't help but smirk off of Jane's smile. "I'm quite sure you should be drinking alone just so you can catch up."

"Oh ho!" Jane smiled as she poured herself a glass, "Look I'll put more in mine. Fair?"

"A reasonable compromise."

Jane handed her the glass and made her way to the sofa, "Besides, there's no cap on watching how much you drink once you're safely back home."

Maura smiled and joined Jane on the sofa. "Tell that to my head tomorrow morning."

"Wait!" Maura said, grabbing Jane's arm before she could take a sip, "we should cheers."

"To staying in Boston?"

"To the most stubborn person in the world apologizing?"

"Hey!" Jane pulled her glass away, "Not cheersing to that."

Maura smiled and leaned over, trying to clink Jane's glass. "Oh yes we are!"

Jane wrestled away, leaning backwards while trying to keep her glass from spilling, "Make me."

And just like that, the entire dynamic seemed to shift. Maura found herself with her body weight pressed upon Jane, who in her attempt to wriggle away was now lying flat against the couch. Neither of them said a word, but all Jane could hear was her heart pounding through her chest. She could see Maura's chest rising and falling as she took sharp breaths. The look in Maura's eyes was... dangerous. Jane felt her mouth go dry as Maura continued to look down at her, her focus unwavering.

* * *

**A/N:** Hope I did y'all proud. I felt like it was really important to show Jane's struggle, and I think getting angry would be her way to deal with the issues she wasn't confronting.


	11. Chapter 11

Jane could see the freckles that splayed across Maura's chest. She could see each individual perfectly curled eyelash and hear Maura's staggered breathing as they stared at one another, neither daring to move. Jane could no longer wait, her body propelling her forward, all thought forgone, all logic pushed aside. Jane slammed her glass on the coffee table and pulled Maura towards her, sliding her fingers through Maura's hair as she captured her lips with a searing kiss. Her mind completely shutdown as her senses overwhelmed her. Maura's perfume this close up was an entirely different experience. Her lips seemed to glide seamlessly with Jane's, neither of them holding back as they attempted to break through the frustration and yearning.

It wasn't until Maura placed her hands along Jane's waist that Jane forcefully pulled herself out of the kiss, earning a hum of disapproval from Maura at the loss of contact. Panting heavily, Jane rested her forehead against Maura's.

"Maura, we should... this - this is a -"

Maura pulled back, her eyebrows furrowed. "Don't you dare say a mistake."

Jane stumbled over her words, as she tried to explain her hesitation, "No, it's just... we're drunk, and-"

"Are you telling me you wouldn't feel this way sober? That you haven't been feeling this way for weeks?"

_Try months. God, try years!_

"But when we were sober, we never acted upon it... we must have known it was a bad idea. Thought through it logically."

"Jane, you rarely rely on logic. You do what your intestines tell you to do. What does your gut say?"

"I don't know," Jane sighed and grimaced, "I do know. But what if it's a mistake? What if it ruins our friendship? I can't lose you."

Maura grasped Jane's hands. She knew she couldn't promise a happy ending, and she wouldn't try to convince her otherwise.

"Jane, I can't say for certain what will happen, but after this week..." Maura paused, trying to sum up her thoughts with care, "Life's too short. And had something happened and I never got to experience this with you, I would regret it. I - I can't go any longer not knowing!"

"When did you know?"

"That I felt this way?"

Jane nodded. She was now sitting up, cross-legged on the couch facing Maura. Her breathing had finally calmed down, but her heart continued to race upon hearing Maura's confession.

Maura took a moment to think back. She may have come to terms with the impending need after this week's event's, but she had realized her feelings for Jane long ago.

"It must have been the night Hoyt trapped us in the hospital. I don't know that I've ever been so frightened. I was watching him lay over you with that teaser, and I just felt as if my heart was breaking. And it wasn't until I was waiting for you to show up at your birthday party that I started thinking about how Hoyt had used me to torture of you. He only goes after couples. How he planned to make you watch..."

Maura shuddered at the thought.

"And then you showed up, with that band-aid across your forehead and you shirt unbuttoned... and that shocked look upon your face." Maura smiled fondly at the memory, "It made me start to think Hoyt had picked up something both you and I had failed to realize."

Jane gave a small smile as Maura continued, "And then I started to notice all of these small things. The way you hold open the door for me; you put up with my constant facts. You always do whatever possible to protect me. The way you run your hands through your hair whenever you're annoyed or nervous. All of it. All of you."

Maura looked down and chewed her lip. When she finally looked up, she whispered, "To me, this wouldn't be a mistake."

Jane cupped Maura's face and brought her forehead to rest upon Maura's again, breathing in deeply.

"I hadn't realized," Jane whispered back, "I didn't know you'd felt this way for so long."

Jane moved in to kiss her, but Maura pulled back.

"I need to know. What about you? It sounds like this is new to you. Like this could be a mistake; like you might change your mind."

Jane turned to take a sip of her drink, as she brought a hand to rake through her hair. Halfway through she stopped and laughed at her obvious tell.

"I think I've only just now realized what all of these feelings meant. I had been avoiding them for a while. For a long time actually."

"How long?"

"Must have been, God, it must have been the time Hoyt brainwashed that girl. I'm sensing a seriously depressing theme here," Jane said with a laugh. "Should have thanked Hoyt right before I killed him."

Maura laughed and then swatted Jane's knee. "Go on. What about that experience made you start to view me differently. I don't recall looking particularly dazzling that week."

Jane laughed and gave Maura a push.

"You always look amazing! You know that."

"No I'm serious! I think I even had to wear the same thing two days in a row!"

"You did. Because you came over and stayed up all night watching over me." Jane smiled and took another sip. "And there was that moment when it was just the two of us. We had just finished watching that video of you and Hoyt, and you were so shaken up. I hated seeing you that way, but it was the first moment that I had ever really seen you vulnerable. You were Queen of the Dead before that. It made me realize how little I knew about you. How much more I wanted to know about you."

Jane continued, "You were so worried you were just like him. That you were some kind of monster. And it was when I took your hands in mine that I realized how perfect you were. How the two of us together... just made sense. I always figured I was too messed up for anyone to handle, but being with you made me realize how well we balance each other out. How I could be there for you and you could turn around and do the same for me."

Jane grabbed Maura's hands, just as she had that night. "When I felt your hands in mine... I really never wanted to let go. I've been trying to grab a hold of them ever since."

At those words, Maura leaned in and kissed Jane softly. This kiss felt different from the first. Not quite as hungry, but still passionate, as if tentatively prying to understand the other more. Maura found that Jane did not resist, but instead lifted her hand to run her fingers through Maura's hair. Maura felt as if all of her senses were on fire. The gentle pressure as Jane rested more of her weight on Maura caused goose bumps to appear on Maura's skin. Within moments Maura was lying with her back to the couch, Jane hovering over here.

Maura let out a gasp as Jane pulled back, Jane's teeth dragging along Maura's bottom lip. Jane smiled upon seeing Maura's flushed face, her chest rising and falling with every breath. Jane ran her fingers along her jaw, as Maura began to talk.

"I'm sorry Jane, I just couldn't wait any longer. Knowing the way you felt about me after all this time. We've been so foolish." Maura continued as Jane peppered her jaw line with kisses, "Once I knew how I felt, I tried to hide it. But it seemed like the harder I tried the more I fell for you. And watching you pine over Casey... it was terrible," Jane shifted and moved up to nibble on Maura's ear, "I thought maybe if I held out long enough, you'd realize how perfect we were for one another. I was afraid if I broached the subject, I'd end up pushing you away. I should have -"

"Shh," Jane said, placing a finger over Maura's lips.

Maura gasped. "Did you just shush me?"

"Maybe," she responded back, with a smirk. "This is better," Jane said, propping herself up on her elbows. "Knowing how you feel. How you felt. And now I'm glad that we stopped ourselves earlier. The whole thing would have been over before I had a chance..."

"A chance to do what?"

"To know you. To know what it's like to kiss the hollow spot along your clavicle. To bury my nose in your dimple. To play connect the dots with the freckles on your chest."

Maura let out a hum of approval and closed her eyes as Jane fingers begin to trace patterns across her décolletage and shoulders.

Jane pushed Maura's hair back and kissed her on the temple and eventually on the dimple she had stared at for so long. She left kisses along whatever part of her body she could reach. Eventually, as they both neared the precipice of sleep, Jane grabbed Maura's hand and brought Maura's fingers up to her lips. Maura peeked her eyes open and as she felt Jane kiss each fingertip. She felt Jane wedge herself between Maura and the couch, her warmth and weight pressed against Maura's left side.

Maura smiled as she felt herself being lulled into sleep, her fingertips still tingling.

* * *

**A/N:** Ack this is it. I hope it was okay! Thank you all so much for taking this journey with me. If it wasn't totally obvious, this was my first fanfic writing experience. It was both terrifying and exhilarating.

Thank you so much for your support! I have "first meet" Rizzles story in mind, so hopefully I'll get around to posting that soon. Thanks!


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